Seven Seasons of Daniel
May. 23rd, 2005 06:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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lizardspots on why I tend to write a lot of Season Five Daniel:
I love season one Daniel's ineptitude, his mad scramble for basics. Heading for the gate, under fire, he suddenly recalls "oh yeah, I need to look up the address." He's grown up on Abydos, is far more confident, but he's still at heart an idealistic wide-eyed innocent.
I love season two Daniel's fascination with all the cultures he discovers. He's like a kid lost in his favorite library. There's that hope that he can find Sha're, and in the meantime... this delight at what's out there. Of course, it puts him the line of fire more often than not.
Season three Daniel is more serious, sadder. He's lost a lot of his child-like joy and instead turns to his moral compass to keep going… and he keeps going because it's the right thing to do. He can be a bit airy at times, still fumbling and forgetting to communicate with his team.
Season four Daniel has sharpened up quite a bit. His moral compass puts him at odds with the military, the SGC, and Jack. I think deep down he's angry at the Goa'uld, and his morality and anger have amalgamated. He's turned Sha're's death into a symbol of everything that's wrong with the universe. He's a lot tougher in season four, and far more aware of his environment. Bull-headed and determined to not only do right himself, but to force the others around him to right as well.
Season five Daniel has lost a lot of these battles. He's tired, and his inner compass has turned, well, inward. There's a dry humor, at himself, at the foibles of humanity. A sense that he can't make everyone do right. He can try his best, but he won't always win. So he picks his battles. He grows closer to Jack again, having come to a similar place of acceptance that there are some things he can't change. Whereas before he fought Jack and there was a sense of 'this is wrong -- do something!' He appreciates at this point that some of Jack's laid back manner is experience, understanding what's beyond his control.
Season six Daniel, well, there is no season six Daniel except the glimpses you catch -- where he's completely full of himself if you ask me.
Season seven Daniel is... I can't get a handle on him. There's a discontinuity because of the ascension. He's an ordinary soldier, albeit one who can read dead languages. It seems like he's trying to be Jack. Even imitates some of his mannerisms. He's confused, but not obviously so. Directionless, but self-contained. Too self-contained: withdrawn. He's worked out till he's a beefy monster and focuses mostly on his military role. Translating, etc., is treated like it's a sideline hobby. He doesn't care about the same things anymore, but it's hard to get a grip on what he does care about now. He's gone cold. He acts like someone whose dreams have all been shattered, and all that's left is the will to live and a sense of mission. Even though the why of it is fuzzier than it used to be. It's not that I don't like season seven Daniel. It's that it hurts to watch him. He cares about fighting the Goa'uld, but not much else. Or he's afraid to care is a better way of putting it.
As for season eight, I have no idea. But I'll let you know in Augsut when the DVDs become available.
As for why slash Jack and Daniel, any questions?
Seriously. That's a real photo, not something that's been manipped in slashy-ness.
lizardspots on why I tend to write a lot of Season Five Daniel:I love season one Daniel's ineptitude, his mad scramble for basics. Heading for the gate, under fire, he suddenly recalls "oh yeah, I need to look up the address." He's grown up on Abydos, is far more confident, but he's still at heart an idealistic wide-eyed innocent.
I love season two Daniel's fascination with all the cultures he discovers. He's like a kid lost in his favorite library. There's that hope that he can find Sha're, and in the meantime... this delight at what's out there. Of course, it puts him the line of fire more often than not.
Season three Daniel is more serious, sadder. He's lost a lot of his child-like joy and instead turns to his moral compass to keep going… and he keeps going because it's the right thing to do. He can be a bit airy at times, still fumbling and forgetting to communicate with his team.
Season four Daniel has sharpened up quite a bit. His moral compass puts him at odds with the military, the SGC, and Jack. I think deep down he's angry at the Goa'uld, and his morality and anger have amalgamated. He's turned Sha're's death into a symbol of everything that's wrong with the universe. He's a lot tougher in season four, and far more aware of his environment. Bull-headed and determined to not only do right himself, but to force the others around him to right as well.
Season five Daniel has lost a lot of these battles. He's tired, and his inner compass has turned, well, inward. There's a dry humor, at himself, at the foibles of humanity. A sense that he can't make everyone do right. He can try his best, but he won't always win. So he picks his battles. He grows closer to Jack again, having come to a similar place of acceptance that there are some things he can't change. Whereas before he fought Jack and there was a sense of 'this is wrong -- do something!' He appreciates at this point that some of Jack's laid back manner is experience, understanding what's beyond his control.
Season six Daniel, well, there is no season six Daniel except the glimpses you catch -- where he's completely full of himself if you ask me.
Season seven Daniel is... I can't get a handle on him. There's a discontinuity because of the ascension. He's an ordinary soldier, albeit one who can read dead languages. It seems like he's trying to be Jack. Even imitates some of his mannerisms. He's confused, but not obviously so. Directionless, but self-contained. Too self-contained: withdrawn. He's worked out till he's a beefy monster and focuses mostly on his military role. Translating, etc., is treated like it's a sideline hobby. He doesn't care about the same things anymore, but it's hard to get a grip on what he does care about now. He's gone cold. He acts like someone whose dreams have all been shattered, and all that's left is the will to live and a sense of mission. Even though the why of it is fuzzier than it used to be. It's not that I don't like season seven Daniel. It's that it hurts to watch him. He cares about fighting the Goa'uld, but not much else. Or he's afraid to care is a better way of putting it.
As for season eight, I have no idea. But I'll let you know in Augsut when the DVDs become available.
As for why slash Jack and Daniel, any questions?
Seriously. That's a real photo, not something that's been manipped in slashy-ness.
